Apparatus for producing shingle strips



lFume 30, i931. H. R. WOOD APPARATUS Fon PRonucING snINGLE sTRIPs Filed May '15, 192s 2 Sheets-Stiga( INVENTOR Moog. B

QAM/ MMA] ATTORNEY June 30, 1931. H. R. WOOD APPARATUS PoR Pnonucme SHINGLE STRIPS Filed May 15, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet He-:ILVE Maag. B f

ATTORNEY Patented June 30, 1'931 UNITED STATESl PATENT OFFICE HENRY It. WOOD, OF SIERRA MADRE, CALEIORNIA., ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGN- MENTS, T THE PATENT AND LICENSING CORPORATION, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU- SETTS, A CORPORATION OF MASSACHUSETTS APPARATUS FOR PBODUCING- SEINS-LE STRIPS Application led May 15,

This invention relates to roofing elements in the form of shingle strips and is particularly concerned with the production of roofing strips from continuous sheets of flexible 5 roong material.

The principal object of the invention resides in the production of roofing strips of generally rectangular shape having. curvilinear exposed butt-edges so that when a number'of such strips are laid on a roof, an attractive ornamental appearance approximating that of thatched roofs will be produced. y

A further obj wt of the invention is to provide improved means for severing strips of this character from continuous sheets of roofing material.

Still a further object of the invention is to provide the strips with means for effecting an interlock between adjacent strips in each horizontal course on the roof, and according to the preferred form of the invention, to form the cooperating interlocking portions in the shingle strips simultanenously with the severance of the strips from the sheet of roofing.

In accordance with the invention, the sheet is slit longitudinally thereof along a harmonic curvilinear path, defined by a'circular knife mounted on a rotatable cylinder, the knife lying substantially entirely in one plane extending at an inclination to thek axis of the cylinder, so that as the cylinder rotates the knife will follow a harmonic sinuous course. 85 The curvilinear slit thus made in the sheet provides complementary sections from each of which separate elements having curvilinear butt-edges may be severed. In order to form the end edges of the strips and complete the 40 severance thereof from the sheet, straight parallel cutting blades are ailixed to thecylinder on opposite sides of the circular knife at diametrically opposed points.

The invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description and from the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings,

Figure l is a view of the cutting cylinderl with the knives mounted thereon, Figure 2 is a geometric development illusknife of Figure 2 during half a. revolution-of 1929. Serial No. 363,322.

trating the relation of the circular knife to the rotatable cutting cylinder,

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view in plan showing the path evolved by the circular the cyllnder,

Figure 4 is a plan view showing the layout of a number of shingles in the sheet when operaaed upon in accordance with the invention, an

Figure 5 is a. showing of a section of a roof with several courses of shingle strips designed in accordance with the invention, laid thereon.

In practicing the invention, I prefer to use a sheet of roofing of such a width as will provide two pairs of. complemental series of strips, as shown in Figure 4, the material for each of said series being slit longitudinally "along a harmonic curvilinear path in ac-l cordance with the novel concept of the inveny tion. -In order thus to slit the sheet the cutting cylinder is mounted with its longitudinal axis extending transversely of the sheet, the' latter being fed continuously between the cutting cylinder and a cooperating bed roll, (not shown). As will be evident, the diameter of the cutting cylinder will depe'nd upon the length of the shingle strips desired and the number of strips to be severed longitudially of the sheet during each complete revolution of the cylinder. In actual practise, I prefer to use a cutting cylinder of such a diameter that the circular cutting knife mounted thereon will traverse during each 'revolution thereof, a linear distance corresponding to the length'of/the strips desired.

The sheet material indicated at S, from which the shingle strips are severed in accordance with my invention, may comprise the usual form of asphalt saturated and coated and mineral surfaced felt, or similar waterproof and preferably flexible material.

As shown in Figure l, the rotatable cylinder, indicated by the numeral 20, has mounted thereon, thecircular slitting knives 21 and 22, each of these knives lying in a single plane which extends at an inclination to the longitudinal axis of the cylinder. As will be clear from Figures 2,3 and 4, rotation ofthe cylin- 10| der will cause the knives 21, 22, to follow harmonic curved paths, as indicated at2la, 22a, respectively, the amplitude of which will depend upon the angle' of inclination of the planes in which the knives lie, respectively, to the axis of the cylinder.- The wave length of the curves thus produced will manifestly be equal to the circumference of the knife blades. By thus utilizing the mathematical principle governing the surface development of the intersection of a circle lying in a plane at an angle to the axis of a cylinder rotating on a fixed axis, I provide a very vadvantageous method of cutting sheet material of the character of prepared roofing, along sinuous lines, and thereby avoid the necessity of employing warped or skewed knives to cut shingles of this character. The arrangement as thus described, renders possible a rapid, continuous operation upon the sheet without any v tendency of the sheet to weave or buckle under the action of the cutting knives.

Where two circular slitting kniv'estasv above described, are employed, I prefer to have the plane of the two knives extending in opposite directions with respect to the axis of the cylinder. In this way the tendency of the sheet to weave under the action of the knives is further eliminated. The use of two circular knives as illustrated, also 'makes it possible if so desired, to have one of the slits 21a, 22a, of different amplitude from the other, merely by positioning the knives at different angles with respect to the axis of the cylinder.

The curvilinear slits 21a'and 22a as thus formed in the sheeteach produce the complemental butt-edges of a series of shingles on either side of the respective slits. As will be understood from what has been said above and from the showing in the drawings, the sheet is of suliicient width to produc-e two pairsof longitudinal series of strips from the sheet, the separate pairsbeing separated from each other along a slit 23a, formed longitudinally in the sheet through the middle thereof, by a circular knife 23 extending circumferentially about the cylinder, intermediate the knives 21 and 22.

The cylinder is also provided with diametrically opposed cutting blades 24 and 25, parallel to the axis of the -cylinder and extending on A.opposite sides of the circular knife '21,' and with a similar pair of diametrically opposed blades 26 and 27 lying on opposite sides of the circular knife 22, the knives 24 and 26 being slightly oi'set from `each other circumferentially ofv the cylinder and the knives 25 and 27 being similarly oset from each other. The knives 24, 25, 26 and 27 form the transverse cuts in the sheet as shown at 24a, 25a, 26a and 27a respectively, these forming the shingle strips with slits adjacent the ends thereof, which slits are adapted to cooperate in the laying of the strips on the roof to interlock adjacent. elements in each horizontal course. To this end, the cylinder 2O is provided on alternately opposite sides of each of the knives 24, 25, 26 and 27, with short knife blades 28, parallel to the knives 24 to 27 and spaced a slight distance therefrom, one extremity of the blades 28 being in close contact with the circular knives 21 and 22. The cylinder is also provided on the opposite sides of the knives 24 to 27 with double angular cutting blades 29 lying in a direction generally at right angles to said blades. Each of the blades 29 has one of its elements intersecting knives 24 to 27 at a point in alignment with outer end of the blades 28 and extending at an angle toward the knives 21, 22; another and oppositely inclined element; andfnally a short straight element parallel to the knives 24 to 27 and terminating a short distance from Y the knives 21 and 22. The blades 28 and 29 as thus disposed on the cylinder, form the slits 28a and 29a respectively in the several longitudinal series of elements in the manner shown in Figure 4 of the drawings. Preferably also, the knives 24 to 27 terminate at a slight distance from the knives 21, 22, and additional blades are fixed on the cylinder to form slits 30a, 31a, which together with the slits 21a, 22a, complete the formation of small cutout pieces 32 in the sheet on alternately opposite sides of the slits 21a, 22a, as clearly shown in Figure 4.

t The shingles 33 as thus produced from the sheet of roofing material S, may be laid in successive overlapping courses on a roof in the usual manner with adjacent ends of the shingles in each course overlapping one an-4 other, as shown in Figure 5, the slits 28a on one end of the shingle being engaged with the cooperating slit 29a on the adjacent edge of the adjacent shingle, to form an interlock between the two, as at 34, whereby to avoid lifting or blowing of the exposed portions of the shingle under the action of the wind. As

. will beobserved from Figure 5, the vertical .extent of exposure at all correspondlng versified appearance in the finished roof. It

will be noted also that,- by vvirtue of the overlapping and interlocking arrangement of adjacent ends or adjacent shingle'sineach course, not only in the tendency to lifting up or blowing up of exposed portions -avoided, but that also the arrangement provides a greateroarrier to the entrance of water between the joints of adjacent shingles.

I claim asmy invention:

v 1. In mechanism for cutting sheet material to sever therefrom roofing elements of curvilinear butt-edge configuration, the combinfv Y tion of a rotatable cylinder and a circular knife iixed to the surface of the cylinder, said the cylinder.

knife lying entirely in a single plane extending at an angle to the axis of said cylinder, and cutting blades ixed to the surface of the cylinder and extending in parallelism with the axis thereofuonopposite sides of said circular knife, said blades being located at substantially diametrically opposed points on 2. In mechanism for cutting sheet roofing l material to sever therefrom roofing elements of curvilinear butt-edge coniiguration, a combination of a rotatable cylinder and a. plurality of spaced circular knives xed to the surface of the cylinder, each of said knives lying entirely in a single plane extending at an angle to the axis of the cylinder, and a 4pluralit of pairs of cutting blades lixed to the su ace of the cylinder and'extending in ,Y parallelism with the axis thereof, the blades of each pair l 'ng on op osite sides of one of said circular livesfand ing located at substantially diametrically opposed points on the cylinder. t

A3. In mechanism for cutting sheet roofing material to sever therefrom roofing elements of curvilinear butt-edge configuration, a combination of a rotatable c linder and a plurality of spaced circular 'ves fixed to the surface of the cylinder, each of said knives lying entirely in a single plane extending at an angle to the axis of the cylinder, and a plurality of pairs of cutting blades fixed to the surface of the cylinder and extending in parallelism with the axis thereof, the blades ,A of each pair lying on opposite sides of one of said circular knives and being located at substantially ,diametrically opposed points on day of May, A.. D. 1929. o

the cylinder, one of the blades of each pair bein in substantial alignment with one of the lades of the other pair.

Signed at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, this 7th HENRY R. WOOD. 

